COLLEGE HOCKEY: Boston College, UNH skate to 4-4 tie

Eight players scored one goal each as fourth-ranked Boston College and fifth-ranked New Hampshire battled to a 4-4 Hockey East tie before 6,649 fans at Kelley Rink on Sunday.

The Enterprise, Brockton, MA

Writer

Posted Feb. 18, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Feb 18, 2013 at 6:01 PM

Posted Feb. 18, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Feb 18, 2013 at 6:01 PM

CHESNTUT HILL

» Social News

Eight players scored one goal each as fourth-ranked Boston College and fifth-ranked New Hampshire battled to a 4-4 Hockey East tie before 6,649 fans at Kelley Rink on Sunday.

The tie enables Boston College to maintain its second-place position in the league standings, one point behind Merrimack and one point ahead of New Hampshire heading into the final three weekends – and six games – of the season.

“I was excited by how much [the team] battled,” head coach Jerry York said. “It’s in our DNA. We compete very hard.”

Forwards Steven Whitney, Pat Mullane and Bill Arnold and defenseman Michael Matheson each recorded one goal and one assist for the host Eagles, and Dan Correale and Grayson Downing both registered two-point efforts for the visiting Wildcats.

Down one goal – at 3-2 – to start the third period, New Hampshire scored consecutive goals at 1:15 and 7:54 to claim a 4-3 advantage. Seven seconds later, BC’s Arnold tied the game for good on a backhanded shot past the glove of goaltender Casey DeSmith (22 saves).

Both teams had numerous scoring chances throughout the remainder of the third period and overtime – including a BC power play for the final 1:44 of regulation – but did not covert.

BC finished 2-for-5 on the power play while New Hampshire went 1-for-7. Senior goaltender Parker Milner registered 29 saves in his 27th start of the season.

“I thought Milner stood on his head for us tonight,” Mullane said. “Without him we wouldn’t be where we are right now.”

BC’s Whitney opened the scoring at 8:57 of the first period to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead on his 19th of the season, and New Hampshire’s Eric Knodel tied the game at 19:01 of the opening stanza with a slap shot from center ice that trickled through goaltender Milner.

New Hampshire took a 2-1 lead early in the second period as Correale scored just 34 seconds into the middle frame. The Eagles came back with goals by Matheson and Mullane to take a 3-2 advantage into the third period.

Team records: New Hampshire 16-8-4, 11-7-3 Hockey East; Boston College 17-8-3, 12-7-2 HE